Subterranean current transmission for electric tramways or railways.



' Pate n ted Ian. 2!,1902.

A. HREBICEK. SUBTERRANEAN CURRENT TRANSMISSION FOR ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS 0R RAILWAYS.

sme ma med Sept. 1'2, 1899.)

4 Shee'ts--Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Patented Jam-2|, I902.

' t A. HREBICEK. SUBTERRANEAN'GUBBENT TRANSMISSION FOB ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS UR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed sa s. '12, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

){n v em for M;

Wrah B THE "cams Perms co, vnom umo. WASHINGTON. n. c

No. 69L38l. Patented Ian. 2|, I902.

A. HREBICEK.

SUBTEBRANEAN CURRENT TRANSMISSION FOR ELECTRIC TRAMWAY S OR RAILWAYS.

(Application filed Sept. 12. 189

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet t for ++6$+ )(nven 'mz uonms Pzrzns co. PNGTD-LI'ITHO'. WASHINGTON. u. c.

iai enie d Jan. 2|, I902. A. HREBICEK. SUBTERBANEAN CURRENT TRANSMISSION FUR ELECTRIC TRANIWAYS 0R RAILWAYS.

(Application filed. Sept. 12, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

0o o wg XXXXXXXXX/ 1rwen+or (XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "HE nonqxs PETERS co. PMcTdLrrnb; WASHINGTON, n. z:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

APOLLIN'ARIS HREBICEK, OF BINGERBRUCK, GERMANY.

SUBTERRANEAN CURRENT TRANSMISSION FOR ELECTRIC TRAMWAYS R RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,381, dated anuary 21, 1902. Application filed September 12, 1899. Serial No. 730,238. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LAPOLLINARIS l-InnnrcnK, asubject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Bingerbrtick, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, (whose full postal address is Benedictusgarten, Bingerbriick, Prussia,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Subterranean Current Transmissions for Electric Tramways or Railways, (for which I have applied for patents in Germany,dated February 24; 1899,and in France, No. 286,949, dated March 18, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to snbterranean current transmission for electric tram ways and railways, the essential feature of which is that a channel or conduit in which is arranged the working circuit is openedin sections by the approaching vehicle and closed again behind such vehicle.

The accompanying drawings show how this invention may be carried into effect.

Figure 1 shows a transverse section through the arrangement. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a plan. Figs. 4 and 5 are two views of the device for opening theconduit. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show the sliding conduit-cover. Figs. 9 and 10 show the current-receiver.

Conduit 1 is arranged on brackets 2, the working circuit consisting of a suitable metal. The conduit 1 has at the top'a longitudinal slot, closed by sliding covers 4. The latter are shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 and are secured in closed position by springs 5. Their upper surfaces have grooves 6, which start at each end of the cover 4 on the same side, run obliquely to the opposite side and thence parallel to the longitudinal edge to each end of the slide. The slides 4 move in guides 7, arranged at the edge or neck of the conduitslot and situated between the rails 8. On the carriage 9 are arranged cover-opening devices 10,which carry at their lower ends, Figs. 2, 4, and 5, rollers 11 and 12, by which they engage in the groove 6, and thereby push aside the cover 4 and open the conduit when the carriage or vehicle 9 passes. On the supover an open piece of the conduit-slot.

current-receiver 14, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 9, and 10, consists of a contact-roller 15, contact-brushes 16, and circuit-wires17, leading to the vehicle-motor, and carries on one side rollers 18,- which serve to keep the cover 4 open as long as the current-receiver 14 runs withiri'the limits of this cover-section, the opening device 10 being already in the section of the following cover 4 and commences to open the same. As the opening device 10 opens the cover by the oblique groove 6 in the first half of the cover and keeps it open by the straight groove 6 in the second half of the cover and as the rollers 18 of the current- 'receiver14 must engage before the conduitopening device leaves, the distance between the conduit-opener 10 and the current-receiver 14 must be larger than one-half of the length of the cover and less than the whole length of the cover. It is preferable to have two conduit-opening devices on the vehicle,

one at each end, thus avoiding the turning of the vehicle. The opening devices 10 are lowered into and raised out of the groove 6 from the drivers platform by bevel gear mechanism 19 and screw and pinion 20. When the screw 22 descends, the current-receiver 14 is carried in a circular curve around the center 23 to the conduitconductor by means of similar driving mechanism 24 and connecting-rod 21. When engaged, the current-receiver 1'4 obtains the required elastic counter-pressure against the conductor 3 by springs 25.

The operation is as follows: Supposing that the vehicle 9 stands in the departure-station y suitable rotation of the gearing19 and 20 the opening device 10 situated forward in the direction of driving, is screwed down to the proper level, and by a suitable rotation of the gearing 24 22 the current-receiver is turned down, so that it bears elastically under the pressure of the springs 25 on the conduit-conductor. When now the driver turns the contact-switch for the motor, the vehicle 9 moves, the opening device 10 enters into the groove 6 of the nearest cover 4, and as this groove is oblique and the device 10 is fixed to the vehicle 9 the cover 4 is pushed aside, and the conduit-slot is thus opened. This movement of the opening device 10 is continued until the latter has reached the middle of the cover 4. Then the groove 6 runs parallel with the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle, and the slot is therefore not opened farther, but only kept open. Before the opening device leaves this cover-section 4.- the current-receiver 14. has reached it and keeps it open by the rollers 18. In the meantime the opening device 10 enters the oblique groove 6 of the following cover 4 during the further movement of the vehicle 9, opens it, and keeps it open until the current-receiver 14 enters from the preceding cover-section and holds it open, the preceding cover being closed through the pressure of the springs 5.

- This operation is repeated the whole length of the-line of tram or rail ways. When the vehicle has arrived at the end of the line, the opening device 10is raised by the gearing 19 20, and if it is desired that the vehicle shall make a return journey the opening device 10 at the other end of the vehicle is lowered by the gearing 19 2O belonging to it. If it is desired that the vehicle be placed out of service for the time being, the current-receiver 14 is placed out of contact with the working circuit or conductor by corresponding rotation of the gearing 22 and 24.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an electric railway, an underground conduit provided with a 'series of independent sliding normally closed covers, provided on the surface with a groove 6 extending obliquely and longitudinally substantially as and for the purposes described.

covers, and a cover opener carried by said vehicle and engaging the groove 6 of successive covers, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed. V

4. In an electric railway, an underground conduit provided witha series of independent sliding normally closed covers, provided on the surface with a groove 6 extending obliquely and longitudinally, a traveling vehicle, a collector carried thereby and extending into the conduit through the opened covers, a cover-opener carried by said vehicle and engaging the groove 6 of successive covers, and a brush 13 extending in said groove in advance of the cover-opener, substantially as and for the purposes described. Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand inthe' presence-of two witnesses. APOLLINARIS HREBIGEK. Witnesses:

FRIEDRICH HOFFBAUER, JEAN GRUND, 

